ICCC INDONESIA NEWSLETTER APRIL 2010

BERITA ICCC INDONESIA 2010 Edisi APRIL Untuk kalangan sendiri

BERITA INTERN UNTUK ANGGOTA DAN KOMUNIKASI BAGI KALANGAN DUNIA BISNIS DAN PROFESI KRISTEN

ICCC ADALAH MIMBAR DIMANA PESAN KRISTUS BAGI KITA DI ZAMAN INI DIJABARKAN, DIBAGIKAN DAN DINYATAKAN TERHADAP DUNIA BISNIS

NATIONAL BOARD Spiritual Counselor Pdm. Bunan Djambek National President Benjamin B. Juwono Vice Presidents:  Admin/Secretary Tonny Soetjoadi 

Finance/Treasurer: ManimbulL. Sitorus

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Membership/Mentoring/ Network Simon Aditan

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Teaching / Training Eliezer H. Hardjo Johanis S. Najoan Ridwan Naftali

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Business Development/ Micro-Enterprise Kristanta Dewara Rudolf A.S. Sinaga Johny Rempas Michael Albinus Agus Susanto Markus Christianto Intercessors Eddy S. Kristiawan Mohan U. Vasandani (Mrs.) Suzanna Suadi (Mrs.) Josephine S. Sitorus (Ms.) Hermina M. Usmany Paul Tapilatu

Kantor National ICCC Indonesia:

Website: www.iccc-indonesia.com Pertokoan Pulo Mas Blok B I / 8, Jalan Perintis Kemerdekaan. Jakarta 13260 Telp (021) 4890211, fax: (021) 4722274. Email: js.najoan@gmail.com arfia@cbn.net.id, ehardjo@gmail.com

Saudara-saudara dalam Tuhan Yesus Kristus, Senang berjumpa kembali dalam Berita ICCC Indonesia pada edisi April 2010. Saya percaya kita semua tetap antusias di dalam domain pelayanan kita di marketplace.

Pertama saya ingin memberi informasi tentang IGM bahwa rapat International Board telah memutuskan IGM akan diselanggarakan pada tanggal 27-31 Oktober 2010, di Spanyol. Kita bawa dalam doa agar kita dapat berpartisipasi dalam event yang penting ini. IGM adalah event 2 tahunan bagi semua anggota ICCC di seluruh dunia untuk ber-fellowship dan memperkuat visi pelayanan.

Dalam tahun ini kita bergembira menyambut beberapa keanggotaan baru yang pasti akan menambah semangat pelayanan kita.

Pula kita juga terus mengupayakan efektifitas pelayanan kita dengan mengadakan restrukturisasi dalam susunan National Board seperti yang dimuat dalam berita bulan ini. Kita semua berdoa agar rekan rekan National Board dapat lebih meningkatkan aktifitas dalam tubuh ICCC Indonesia. Kami menyadari bahwa pelayanan kami masih amat terbatas. Dengan resources yang ada kami mencoba memberikan yang terbaik. Kiranya Tuhan terus menambahkan hikmatNya kepada kita untuk tetap setia dan terus berkarya bagi KerajaanNya, seperti yang tertulis dalam 1 Kor 4:2 ” yang akhirnya dituntut dari pelayan-pelayan demikian ialah, bahwa mereka ternyata dapat dipercaya ” Terimakasih yang tak terhingga atas kontribusi, dedikasi rekan-rekan National Board yang tidak lagi menjabat selama kebersamaam kita selama ini, dan kami sangat mengharapkan bantuan, masukan dan nasihat anda demi kelangsungan dan perkembangan ICCC Indonesia.

Bulan ini kita menyambut perayaan besar dan fenomenal yaitu Paskah. FirmanNya kepada Musa untuk disampaikan pada Firaun : ”biarkanlah umatKu pergi untuk beribadah (to worship) kepadaKu. Mesir adalah simbol dunia dengan segala sistemnya, termasuk sistem keuangannya.

Kita memerlukan peristiwa Paskah untuk bebas dari perhambaan kepada uang.Tanpa Paskah kita tidak dapat benar-benar beribadah (to worship) kepada Tuhan yang hidup. Masih banyak pengusaha Kristen yang hidup dalam perhambaan dunia dan sistem keuangannya.Kita harus mematahkan bondage itu dengan darah Yesus, melalui proses pembaharuan akal budi dengan FirmanNya. Baru setelah kita lepas dari perhambaan kita dapat benar-benar beribadah/menyembah kepada Tuhan. Jangan sampai kita masih ada di dalam sistem dunia ketika Tuhan menghakimi sistem keuangan dunia, seperti ketika Tuhan menghukum negeri Mesir.

Saudara , dalam merayakan Paskah ini, saya mengajak kita melakukan refleksi dalam diri kita, adakah area dalam hidup kita yang masih ada dalam perhambaan dunia? Tuhan ingin membebaskan kita, Ia masih berkata : ” let My people go that they may worship Me” Let’s come to Him Benjamin Bambang Juwono National President ICCC INDONESIA

www.iccc-indonesia.com

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LAPORAN KEGIATAN ICCC INDONESIA

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New National Board Member Sesuai dengan hasil Rapat National Board dan Member bertempat di Restoran Paramount – Menteng pada tanggal 30 Maret 2010, telah diadakan peremajaan perubahan susunan National Board yang baru yang akan memulai tugasnya per 1 April 2010:

Spiritual Counselor: Pdm. Bunan Djambek National President: Benjamin B. Juwono V.P. Finance / Treasurer: Manimbul Luhut Sitorus V.P. Admin / Secretary: Tonny Soetjoadi Domain V.P. Membership/Mentoring: Simon Aditan V.P. Business Development/ Micro-Enterprise: Kristanta Dewara Member: Rudolf A.S. Sinaga Johnny Rempas Michael Albinus Agus Susanto Markus Christianto V.P. Teaching: Member:

Eliezer H. Hardjo Johanis S. Najoan Ridwan Naftali

Intercessors Coordinator: Eddy S. Kristiawan Member: Suzanna Suadi Josephine S. Sitorus Mohan U. Vasandani Hermina M. Usmany Paul Tapilatu Mari kita dukung mereka agar dapat menjalankan tugasnya dengan efektif dan produktif dalam kesatuan hati yang kuat

6 April 2010: Money Matters - Benjamin B. Juwono 13 April 2010: Building Business on the Rock – Eliezer H. Hardjo 20 April 2010: Strong in the Battle – Johanis S. Najoan 27 April 2010: A Key to Abundant Life – Simon Aditan

Seminar ini terbuka untuk umum dan tidak dipungut bayaran, silahkan anda menghadirinya dan mengajak teman untuk mendengarkan pengajaran yang akan membuka wawasan anda dalam menangkap prinsipprinsip Alkitabiah dalam mengelola bisnis atau pekerjaan kita.

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Welcome New Member 1. Ms. Hermina Magdalena Usmany 2. Mr. Paulus Tapilatu 3. Mr. Markus Christianto

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MEMBERSHIP FEE

Bagi anda yang akan memperpanjang kartu keanggotaan anda untuk tahun 2010 agar segera menghubungi Simon Aditan V.P. Membership melalui HP: 0816974647 atau email (simonaditan@yahoo.com)

Annual Membership Fee untuk tahun 2010 mengikuti peraturan International dalam kategori Developing Nation menjadi Rp. 600.000 dimana US$ 50 dikirim ke Kantor Pusat di Swedia sebagai syarat dan kewajiban International Membership Membership Fee dapat ditransfer ke rekening ICCC Indonesia atau FORUKIN dibawah ini, dan mengirimkan bukti transfernya dengan fax ke alamat yang tercantum paling bawah dari setiap halaman Newsletter ini: Rekening Bank:

TWL DI GBI BASILIA KELAPA GADING ICCC Indonesia akan melayani para pelaku bisnis, profesional dan kaum muda di GBI Basilia Kelapa Gading dengan program Transformed Working Life (TWL) dalam bentuk seminar selama bulan April 2010 mulai pkl. 19.00 dengan jadwal sebagai berikut:

LIPPO BANK Cabang Senen - Jakarta No. 716-30-00309-2 a/n : Forum Komunikasi Usahawan Kristen Indonesia (FORUKIN).

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KONTAK BISNIS

Partners: 1. Institute of Certified Professional Managers – James Madison University, VA, USA 2. Corporate Turnaround Pte. Ltd., Singapore 3. Whitesmoke Inc. USA.

1. Surya Delapan Mas Tonny Soetjoadi – Director Offices: 1. HWI Lindeteves 4th Floor, Block B No. 7 Jalan Hayam Wuruk Jakarta (Barat) 11180 – INDONESIA Phone: 062 (21) 6259625 Fax: 062 (21) 6259561

Line of Business: Business & Management Consulting (Seminar, Training & Consulting)

Bagi member yang berminat untuk dicantumkan dalam kolom ini (free of charge) dimohon untuk meng-update data dan mengirim ke e-mail: ehardjo@gmail.com seperti contoh diatas

2. Taman Berdikari Santosa Block M No. 16 Jalan Pemuda Jakarta (Timur) 13220 – INDONESIA Phone: 062 (21) 4712821 & 91282388 Fax: 062 (21) 4718293 Line of Business: Distribution of Chladianpast Corrugated Roof & Flat sheet for Jakarta Metro & Outer Java and International market

 Nama Perusahaan  Person in Charge dan Contact person  Alamat lengkap termasuk no. telepon/fax dan email  Line of business  Specific products yang ingin ditawarkan (dengan foto kalau ada – yang di-compressed)

TESTIMONY & WISDOM

EASTER Business Opportunity: Looking for bona-fide Sub-distributors all-over Indonesia as well as outside of Indonesia, preferably having vast networks & experiences in distribution of building materials.

Serious inquiry can be directed to Tonny Soetjoadi, Director (tonnystd@indo.net.id or mobile: +62811193202 2. HeavenSpring Consulting & Agencies Co. Eliezer Hernawan Hardjo CM Jalan Pegangsaan Indah Barat B I / 8 Pondok Gading Utama Jakarta 14250 – INDONESIA Phone: 062 (21) 4521141 Fax: 062 (21) 4533070 Mobile: (062) 815-13203415 E-mail: heavenspring.consulting@gmail.com, eliezer@heavenspring.com, ehardjo@gmail.com

Easter Origin - A One-time Event Easter origin, as a Christian holiday, can be found in the pages of scripture itself. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, all followers of Jesus, offer their own unique eyewitness accounts of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is this culminating event of Christianity that is celebrated on Easter Sunday every year.

Easter Origin - The Resurrection of Jesus Christ Easter origin actually began as a part of the Jewish Passover, as Christ was crucified and resurrected during Passover week. Christ is believed by Christians to actually be the Passover Lamb spoken of in Exodus, for He Himself became the perfect, sinless sacrifice for the sins of all people. Jews who chose to follow Christ then honored this day in succeeding years during the Passover season, but as Christianity was spread throughout non-christian nations, the celebration of

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Easter was gradually combined with pagan "rites of spring" traditions. Modern celebrations are the result of this compromise. At the same time, Easter is often the only day that many people attend church and are introduced to the "Good News" of Jesus Christ.

Easter Origin - Christ Revealed in the Jewish Passover Easter origin can be traced to the Passover ceremony itself. Christian scholars believe that the Old Testament is Christ concealed, while the New Testament is Christ revealed. Let's hold the elements of the Passover up to the light of the life of Christ. By tradition, the lamb to be sacrificed during the Passover was selected four days before the sacrifice was to be made. Jesus rode into Jerusalem four days before He was crucified. The lamb was customarily slain at 3 p.m. on Passover. Jesus uttered the words "it is finished" and died on the cross at 3 p.m. (this is known traditionally as Good Friday, but many Bible scholars have determined the crucifixion to be on a Wednesday or Thursday). The festival of Unleavened Bread began at sunset. One of the rituals involved the sacrifice of a grain offering, representing the first fruits of the harvest. Jesus, according to the Apostle Paul, became the first fruits of those raised from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:20). During the Passover dinner, three matzahs are put together. Christians see these matzahs as representative of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The middle matzah is broken, as Christ said at the Last Supper, "This is My body, broken for you." The middle matzah is also striped and pierced, as Jesus was during His crucifixion, and as was prophesied in Isaiah 53:5, Psalm 22:16 and Zechariah 12:10. This matzah is then wrapped in a white cloth and hidden, just as Christ was wrapped in linen and laid in the tomb.

was the promised Messiah. So it is with good reason that Christians the world over regard Easter as a very special event. But in the early days of the church, most Christians were Jewish converts. Because Jesus was crucified and rose again during the Passover season, their celebration of Christ's resurrection was acknowledged during that annual observance of the deliverance from bondage in Egypt. Christian Jews (or Messianic Jews) consider the Passover to be symbolic of the time when Christ set all believers free from the penalty of sin (through His death on the cross) and death (through His resurrection from the dead).

Easter Origin - What Does the Resurrection Mean to You? Easter origin? Can a man who claims to be God and then rises from the dead actually be God in human form? Is He someone you should follow? C.S. Lewis asked those same questions and came to the conclusion that there are only three possibilities. Jesus Christ claimed to be God. Therefore, to say He is just a "good man" or "great teacher" is to call him a liar. Any sane person who would claim to be God, but who in fact, is not, must then be a madman - a lunatic! If Christ is neither a liar nor a lunatic, then there is only one other possible conclusion - He must be the Lord! If He is the Lord, what does Resurrection Day mean to you?

(Kirimkan kutipan, artikel, kata-kata mutiara atau kisah pengalaman anda yang dapat memperkuat iman pembaca Newsletter ini kepada TUHAN baik itu berupa pengalaman pribadi maupun orang lain dengan ciri utama bisnis dan rohani)

Easter Origin - The Biblical Accounts Easter (also known as Resurrection Day), is the event upon which the entire Christian faith hinges. Paul, once a Jewish leader hostile to Christians, became a convert when he met Jesus on the Road to Damascus (Acts 9). As an eyewitness of Christ, Paul made it abundantly clear that without the resurrection, there is no basis for faith in Christ: Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. (1 Corinthians 15:12-29) When Christ was born, He fulfilled a number of Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah. By the time of His crucifixion, resurrection and ascension, He had fulfilled more than 300 of them. These numbers alone provide staggering evidence that Jesus Christ

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Apa itu ICCC?

Forum dimana pesan Kristus untuk zaman ini dijabarkan, disampaikan dan dinyatakan kepada Dunia Bisnis ICCC adalah badan yang independen dan inter-denominasi, bukan menjadi bagian dari suatu gereja tertentu namun ikut melayani gereja yang membutuhkan pelayanan ICCC. ICCC berkantor Pusat di Orebrö Swedia dan saat ini telah berada di sekitar 65 negara di lima benua.

ICCC Indonesia melakukan berbagai kegiatan dan pelayanan baik terhadap anggota, maupun terhadap dunia bisnis khususnya dalam lingkungan Kristiani.

Undanglah kami untuk memberikan presentasi mengenai visi, misi dan tujuan ICCC bagi dunia bisnis dan profesi

VISI, MISI DAN TUJUAN ICCC International Christian Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) lahir dari kepatuhan terhadap visi yang diberikan selama kurun waktu enam tahun kepada seorang usahawan Swedia J. Gunnar Olson, yang diteguhkan dengan nubuatan dan terbukanya pintu kesempatan disekitarnya yang sebelumnya tertutup.

ICCC merupakan panggilan yang serius dan menantang bagi pengusaha Kristen untuk mengenali jaman yang sedang kita masuki dan dengan terang dari pengenalan itu memasuki dimensi iman yang baru yang disediakan bagi mereka yang …” takut akan TUHAN … berbicara satu sama lain … dan menghormati namaNya.” (Maleakhi 3: 16) Visi ini memanggil para pengusaha dan kaum profesi di seluruh dunia yang terbeban untuk saling berhubungan, bertukar pendapat, memperdagang-kan barang dan menyediakan jasa, saling mendukung dan menguatkan secara rohani dan materi.

Berdasarkan eksistensi dari visi itu sendiri memproklamirkan otoritas Kristus yang mutlak diseluruh dunia.

Pada intinya ICCC adalah kehendak TUHAN untuk memperluas tali kasih-Nya, melalui gerejaNya, didalam dunia usaha. Hal ini menuntut para pelaku bisnis mencari terlebih dahulu KerajaanNya dan segala Kebenaran-Nya. Urapan tersedia bagi mereka yang dengan mata melihat dan telinga mendengar panggilan jaman.

Sebagaimana halnya Raja Daud yang menerima urapan untuk menjadi raja, jauh sebelum dia menjadi Raja, yang keadaan pada saat urapan diberikan sama sekali tidak mungkin bagi Daud untuk menjadi Raja, demikianlah ICCC memanggil para pengusaha Kristen sebelum peristiwanya terjadi untuk mengalami kebebasan masuk ke dalam dimensi baru, dimana sasaran, strategi dan perencanaan bersama-sma diwujudnyatakan sesuai dengan iman di dalam Kristus.

ICCC mencanangkan panggilan itu sejalan dengan rencana TUHAN bagi jaman ini sebagai kunci memperoleh berkat dan pertumbuhan dan agar dapat bangkit berkemenangan diatas gelombang ombak yang mengancam.

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Panggilan ICCC: “Mereka akan menjadi milik kesayanganKu sendiri, firman TUHAN semesta Alam pada hari yang Kusiapkan. Aku akan mengasihi mereka sama seperti seseorang menyayangi anaknya yang melayani dia. Maka kamu akan melihat kembali perbedaan antara orang benar dan orang fasik, antara orang yang beribadah kepada TUHAN dan orang yang tidak beribadah kepada-Nya.” (Maleakhi 3: 17-18)

KEYAKINAN IMAN ICCC: 

Satu-satunya TUHAN pencipta segala sesuatu dalam kesatuan Trinitas: Bapa, Anak, dan Roh Kudus.

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Keilahian TUHAN Yesus Kristus.

Kelahiran-Nya dari rahim seorang Perawan.

Karya penebusan dosa manusia melalui kematian-Nya diatas kayu salib.

Kebangkitan-Nya. Hak otoriatas diri-Nya atas dunia dan Kedatangan-Nya yang kedua kali dalam Kuasa dan Kemuliaan-Nya.

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Alkitab, sepenuhnya sebagai Firman TUHAN yang memberikan inspirasi dan berbagai peraturan bagi kehidupan yang dilandasi iman.

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Keselamatan pribadi orang berdosa dan kebutuhannya untuk mengalami proses regenerasi melalui karya Roh Kudus dalam menuju menjadikannya sebagai manusia yang dikehendaki oleh TUHAN, seutuhnya.

TWL diperuntukkan bagi anggota dan dapat diikuti secara cuma-cuma, namun terbuka juga bagi siapa saja yang berminat untuk mengikutinya.

TWL

diselenggarakan dalam bahasa Indonesia dan dilengkapi dengan buku panduannya, yang telah diterjemahkan kedalam Bahasa Indonesia juga, sehingga para peserta betul-betul akan memperoleh manfa’at yang besar dan mengalami transformasi dalam kehidupan pribadi maupun bisnisnya.

TWL difasilitasi oleh anggota National Board yang terlatih dan dikoordinir oleh V.P. Teaching: Eliezer H. Hardjo bersama dengan Teaching Team: Johanis S. Najoan dan Ridwan Naftali

RESURRECTION REALITIES:

THE MIRACLE OF EASTER (The angel said) "Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen."-Luke 24:5-6

Transformed Working Life (TWL) adalah Pelatihan resmi dari Kantor Internasional bagi anggota ICCC dalam memperlengkapi anggota dengan pengetahuan dan pemahaman latar belakang, tujuan dan penerapan prinsip-prinsip Kerajaan TUHAN bagi dunia bisnis dan profesi.

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"Christianity has died many times and risen again; for it has a God who knows the way out of the grave."-G.K. Chesterton (1) Christianity is a religion that is viewed through the shadow of the cross.

Whether adorning a majestic church spire or dangling from a necklace, the Cross is the universally recognized symbol of the Christian faith, and for good reason. We look back on the cross with awe and reverence, recalling the unmeasurable depths of God's love paying the ultimate price to reconcile us to Him (2). The great preacher Charles Spurgeon puts it beautifully: "We will by faith put ourselves at the foot of the little knoll of Calvary. There we see in the center between two thieves the Son of God made flesh, nailed by His hands and feet, and dying in an anguish that words cannot portray. Look steadfastly and devoutly, gazing through your tears...I will ask you first to smite your breasts, as you remember that you see in Him your own sins...Then see the greatness of your sins that required so vast a sacrifice...If Jehovah did not spare His Son, how little would He have spared guilty, worthless men if He had dealt with us after our sins and rewarded us according to our iniquities."(3) Although it seems repulsive to our natural minds, it is truly beautiful to consider how such a hideous instrument of torture and death could become a symbol of life and hope to millions .

This is because the story doesn't end at the cross.

Rather, it leads up to an event so powerful, so dramatic that it has split our calender in half into "B.C." and "A.D."! I am referring, of course, to Jesus' bodily Resurrection from the dead. Often referred to as "The Capstone in the Arch of Christianity," Jesus' Resurrection is the "seal" which authenticates everything He said, did and stood for.

Consider for a moment the common objections skeptics have toward the Christian faith: "Churches are full of hypocrites." "Religion has caused wars and other atrocities." "If that's what Christianity is all about, I want no part of it."

But that is not what Christianity is all about. I certainly do not deny that some heinous things have been done in Christ's name, but that is totally irrelevant to the ultimate truth of Christianity. Neither the Crusades, the Salem Witch Trials nor the more recent televangelist scandals can undo the irrefutable, historical fact of the Resurrection. As Christian philosopher Ravi Zacharias observes:

"It all seems so simplistic, does it not? A group of gullible, pre-scientific men, succumbing to the illusions and deceptions of their day. Yet, every piece of evidence mustered, including the prophecies that long preceded the event itself and the unexplainable change in the courage and confidence of the early believers, supported by the empirical evidence, argues powerfully for the truth of it all." (4) In this study, we will look at a few of these evidences. On numerous occasions, prominent scholars have researched this topic, and to the surprise of many, have strongly verified the historicity of the Gospel accounts.

One example would be Dr. Simon Greenleaf, the Royall Professor of Law at Harvard University. Dr. Greenleaf is considered one of the world's top authorities on legal evidences. After applying this expertise to the Resurrection, he concluded that it was, in fact, an historical reality. His research is available in a book called The Testimony of the Evangelists. Another example would be British lawyer Frank Morrison. He set out to write a book repudiating the Resurrection and instead found the evidence so overwhelming he actually became a believer himself! His findings can be read in his book, Who Moved the Stone?

Similarly, journalist Lee Strobel began his quest as a skeptic attempting to discredit the Christian faith, but wound up having his own lifechanging encounter with the risen Jesus. His story is told in the popular book The Case For Christ. As we shall see, these men came to their conclusions based on verifiable historical and archeological facts which make Jesus' Resurrection the single most provable event in human history.

Three of the most common arguments used to deny the Resurrection are: 1. Jesus did not really die on the cross.

Rather, He simply "swooned" or lost consciousness. Later, He revived and walked out of the tomb Himself.

2. His disciples stole His body.

3. The four Gospel accounts of the Resurrection are worded differently, each including details omitted by the others. Therefore, they are contradictory and cannot be trusted.

Of course, the first two arguments are totally ridiculous in light of the facts. As anyone who has seen the movie The Passion can attest, the horror of crucifixion (which included a whipping so brutal that it alone was often fatal) was not something a person could simply survive and walk away from. Jesus' death was confirmed

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when a Roman guard put a spear into His side (John 19:32-34). This resulted in a discharge of blood and water, which indicated that the cause of death was a constriction of the fluid sac surrounding the heart. Later, a Roman soldier reported to Pilate that Jesus was indeed dead (Mark 15:44, 45). Jesus' body was then wrapped for burial and placed in the tomb by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus (John 19:38-40). The tomb's entrance was sealed with a heavy, disc shaped stone weighing between one and a half and two tons. A stone of this size would take approximately 20 strong, healthy men in order to move it. In addition, the tomb was guarded by elite Roman soldiers who would be brutally executed (burned alive) if the tomb was disturbed (5). Obviously, this does away with any possibility that Jesus' body could have been stolen. Also, as we shall examine shortly, the disciples were willing to suffer and die for their faith in the Resurrection. Why would they do this if they had staged the whole thing by stealing the body?

Moving on to the third argument, it is true that each Gospel narrative puts a unique perspective on the Resurrection account. But is this a contradiction? Not at all. Each Gospel features its own special points of emphasis, and these additional details are complimentary, not contradictory. The notes on Matthew 28 in the Scofield Study Bible combine all four narratives to produce a very helpful time line of the postresurrection events: 1. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, start for the sepulchre, followed by other women bearing spices. The three find the stone rolled away, and Mary Magdalene goes to tell the disciples (Luke 23:5524:9; John 20:1-2).

2. Mary, the mother of James, draws nearer to the tomb and sees the angel of the Lord (Matthew 28:2). She goes back to meet the other women following with the spices.

3. Meanwhile, Peter and John, warned by Mary Magdalene, arrive, look in and go away (John 20:3-10).

4. Mary Magdalene returns weeping, sees the two angels, then Jesus (John 20:11-18) and goes as He bade her to tell the disciples.

5. Mary (mother of James and Joses), meanwhile, has met the women with the spices and, returning with them, they see the TWO angels (Luke 24:4-5; Mark 16:5). They also receive the angelic message, and going to seek the disciples, are met by Jesus (Matthew 28:810). (6)

One of the most striking evidences for the Resurrection is its immediate impact on the religious world of the day. With the founding of the church in 32 AD, we see a sudden change in the day of worship. This is significant because all of the early Christians were Jews coming from a strict background of observing the seventh day Sabbath. Once they became Christians, however, they made their day of worship Sunday, the first day of the week (Acts 20:6-12; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2) (7). This was done in order to commemorate Christ's Resurrection on that day (Matthew 28:1-7; Mark 16:1-9; Luke 24:1-8; John 20:1-16). In addition, we see new ordinances practiced by Christians from the very beginning of church history. These include Lord's Supper, i.e.

Communion or Eucharist, which represents Jesus' broken Body and shed Blood, as well as baptism, which represents His death, burial and Resurrection. In addition, the Resurrection is depicted in Christian art found in the catacombs dating back to the time of the persecutions. The First Century Church has also left numerous other monuments to this history altering event, such as hymns and church readings done in honor of the Resurrected Christ (8).

This brings us to the strongest evidence of all: The fact that the risen Jesus was seen alive by over 500 eye witnesses! Jesus' postResurrection appearances are verified not only by the Bible, but by secular history as well. Josephus writes: "...he appeared to them alive on the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him."(9). If these appearances were a delusion, how could this many people testify to the exact same thing? This is especially significant when we consider that many of them were tortured and killed for bearing witness to it.

Would people endure this for something they knew to be false? We also see the dramatic conversions of two previous skeptics: James, brother of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:7) and a brilliant scholar named Saul of Tarsus, who we now know as the mighty apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 15:8-9).(10) Again, I quote from Zacharias: "Paul was too much of a thinker to construct his life on an uncertain foundation of credulity. He shunned all deductions that were based on false premises. Yet, this persecutor of the early church, who had called for the death penalty for those "seduced" by the Christian message, found himself a trailblazer for the cause of Christ. It was the knowledge and conviction that Christ had truly broken the chains of death and conquered the grave that gave Paul his hope." (11)

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It is also noteworthy that, in his own commentary on the Resurrection, Paul states that most of these 500 witnesses were still alive at the time (1 Corinthians 15:6). In other words, the reader could easily ask them about the things they had seen.

The Resurrection narratives strike at the very core of who we are as human beings. To anyone who has ever lost a loved one, whether it be to a long, painful illness or a sudden calamity such as a car accident, the shadow of death is a continual reality in our lives. We gaze into the coffin knowing full well that one day we are destined to be there ourselves. Hebrews 2:15 tells us that the fear of death will hold our entire lives in bondage.

In other words, until this fear is dealt with, we will never truly learn to live. Knowing this reality makes Jesus' promise all the more precious: "..because I live, ye shall live also" (John 14:19).

Friend, it all comes down to this question: Is what Jesus did a reality in your own life? Have you recognize your own sinfulness and need of God's grace and forgiveness? Everything Jesus did on that cross was for YOU! He took the punishment we deserved and paid the price so that we could be reconciled to God. Through Jesus, we can have a relationship with Him that will last forever.

If you have never received this precious gift, why not open your heart to Jesus today? (12)

Terimakasih anda telah meluangkan waktu membaca Berita ICCC Indonesia ini dan silahkan mem-forward-nya ke rekan bisnis anda agar memperoleh berkat rohani yang sama.

Redaksi

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